The Viability of Virtual Peer Review and Microscopic Verification Versus Traditional On-site Review, Washington, 2020-2022 (ICPSR 38935)
Version Date: May 29, 2025 View help for published
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Rick Wyant, Washington State Patrol
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38935.v1
Version V1
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This study sought to evaluate laboratory protocols of on-site peer review and verification installing digital comparison microscopes in four Washington State Patrol crime laboratory sites throughout the state.
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Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
Through this study, the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division (WSPCLD) sought to evaluate existing laboratory protocols of on-site peer review and verification by answering the research question: is remote collaboration using digital comparison microscopes an accurate, efficient, and cost-effective method to accomplish peer review and verification of forensic firearm/toolmark (FT) identification casework and Integrated Ballistic Identification Systems (IBIS)/National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) leads?
Goals and objectives of the study included:
Goal 1: Compare efficacy/accuracy of peer review/verification completed using live digital microscopic comparison images to traditional microscope comparisons.
Goal 2: Compare efficiency of peer review/verification completed using live digital microscopic comparison images to traditional microscope comparisons.
Goal 3: Compare efficacy of remote evaluation of IBIS/NIBIN images from digital comparison microscopes to traditional comparison microscopes.
Objective A: Purchase four digital comparison microscopes and place in the WSPCLD FT laboratories
Objective B: Fund the time of four WSPCLD personnel to use digital comparison microscopes for virtual verification and peer review of controlled sample FT cases.
Objective C: Fund the time and travel costs of the Principal Investigator required for on-site verification and general research oversight.
Study Design View help for Study Design
Digital comparison microscopes were installed in each of the four Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division (WSPCLD) forensic firearm/toolmark (FT) laboratories located in Seattle, Tacoma, Cheney, and Vancouver. With digital comparison microscopes installed in the four laboratories, the microscopes were linked using a secure network to transfer images and remotely control the microscopes; making real time, inter-laboratory verification and peer review possible. Prior to the new instrumentation being used for analysis and interpretation of physical evidence, the digital comparison microscopes were performance checked with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable measuring devices as stated in the WSPCLD Firearms and Toolmark Technical Manual. Efficacy and efficiency data were collected from the virtual peer reviews done using the comparison microscopes over a 24 month period.
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